Angels' Mike Trout, former Millville High School standout, showing star potential in major leagues

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US PresswireMike Trout, a former Millville High School star, was the Los Angeles Angelsâ first-round pick in the 2009 draft (25th overall).

By Bill PlunkettFor The Star-Ledger

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The first thing that caught the eyes of scouts when Mike Trout was playing baseball at Millville (N.J.) High School was his speed.

Barely two years out of high school, it’s still impressive. Specifically, the speed with which Trout has made the jump to the major leagues and the quick study he has proven to be once there.

“Coming into the year, my personal goal was just to make the playoffs in Double-A,” said Trout, the Angels’ first-round pick in the 2009 draft (25th overall). “Now to have a chance to make the playoffs in the big leagues is definitely a big jump. It’s been an awesome season so far.”

After tearing up the Double-A Texas League for a little more than three months, Trout skipped Triple-A entirely and arrived in the majors in mid-July at age 19. When he hit his first major-league home run July 24 in Baltimore — in front of family and friends who made the drive down from South Jersey — he became the first teenager to homer in the major leagues since Justin Upton in 2007.

After a brief return to Double-A, Trout was recalled by the Angels on Aug. 19. Now 20 years old, he was still the youngest player in franchise history to have a multi-homer game when he hit two in Seattle on Aug. 30. The only younger players to have multi-homer games in the majors in recent history are Andruw Jones (1996) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1989). Both were 19.

“He’s a freakin’ stud,” Angels veteran Torii Hunter said. “You guys are definitely looking at a special kid. He’s definitely the best 20-year-old anyone’s seen in a long time — Griffey, A-Rod, Pudge Rodriguez, those type of guys. … He’s special. You can see it.”

Trout’s special abilities were recognized this week by Baseball America. The well-regarded publication named him their 2011 Minor League Player of the Year. Trout joins Tim Salmon (1992) as the only Angels prospects to earn the award in its 30-year history. The list of past winners also includes Derek Jeter, Jose Canseco, Joe Mauer, Josh Beckett, Frank Thomas and Dwight Gooden.

“You have to keep pinching yourself and telling yourself the kid is 19,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said during Trout’s July cameo in the big leagues. “This guy is advanced — physically and mentally.”

Since his first extended look at Trout this spring (Trout’s first in the major-league training camp), Scioscia has been effusive in his praise of Trout’s “incredible skill set,” making comparisons to other precocious baseball talents like Hall of Famer Robin Yount, an every-day player in the majors at 18, and Griffey.

“You don’t see guys with his (Trout’s) size and strength who run like he does, short of the NFL combine,” Scioscia said.

When Angels centerfielder Peter Bourjos suffered a hamstring injury just before the All-Star break in July, the Angels reached down to Double-A for Trout to replace him. In 14 games, Trout went 7 for 43 (.163) and “was definitely not overmatched in the batter’s box,” according to Scioscia.

Returned to Double-A at the start of August, Trout was back in the big leagues fewer than three weeks later with the Angels searching for an offensive spark — and possibly a prod to struggling veterans Vernon Wells and Bobby Abreu. Those two have lost playing time to Trout, who has played all three outfield spots and justified the move by batting .295 (13 for 44) with four home runs, 10 runs scored and eight RBI in 15 games since being recalled.

“My first stint I had up here I was jittery, nervous — trying to do too much,” Trout said. “Everybody has that. But getting sent down, I realized this is where I wanted to be. The second
time I got called up, I knew what to expect and just went with that. ...My first game I looked up and saw four decks (on the stadium) and 40,000 people. It was, ‘Oh man, this is a little different than high school.’ ”

The Angels have been a little different with Trout in their lineup.

Whether it’s the tangible benefit of adding depth to the Angels’ outfield (Scioscia’s theory) or an intangible energy the much-heralded prospect brings to their lineup, the Angels are 19-4 in games Trout has started – 10-1 in his 11 starts since his mid-August recall.

“That’s just part of the ‘Lore of Trout’ — or the ‘Lure of Trout?’” Wells said, proud to have stumbled on some word play.

“Once Trout got here, it has brought some youthful exuberance. It’s fun to watch him run, watch him do some things — because he’s going to be one of the special guys in this league.”